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Tuesday, February 27, 2018

Welcome to my stop on the Virtual Book Tour, presented by Goddess Fish Promotions, for Revision is a Process: How to Take the Frustrationout of Self Editing by Catherine E. McLean. Please leave a comment or question for Catherine to let her know you stopped by. You may enter her tour wide giveaway by filling out the Rafflecopter form below. You may follow all of the stops on the tour by clicking on the banner above. The more stops you visit, the better your odds of winning. Good Luck!

Say your publisher has offered to fly you anywhere in the world to do research on an upcoming book, where would you most likely want to go?

The answer is complicated because I write in two different genres. The first is sci-fi and for that I would want to take a rocket-shuttle to the International Space Station and experience outer space for myself, including the weightlessness and being able to look down at planet Earth.

Of course, that's not going to happen. But I can dream. I can fantasize.

And as long as I am fantasizing about taking a mega-billion dollar trip into space, I would love to hitch a ride on the probes to comets and the other planets of our solar system. If available, I would want to book a passage to Mars. I would like to be part of a new moon landing if NASA ever schedules one. Then there are the wonders of the entire solar system to tempt me.

I'll even admit I'm a closet Star Trek fan. One of my favorite Star Trek episodes (the original series) was V'ger, when the Enterprise encountered the Voyager returning to Earth to find its creator.

My second genre is medieval and so I would like to time travel not only to England but do a world tour. I'd like to be the romance Marco Polo of my genre. Okay, so H. G. Well's time machine is probably locked away in Area 51 with all the other alien and scientific relics but wouldn't it be grand to see the Old World, the Old Countries?

If you had your choice of going back in history, where would you go and what would be the era?

A first draft holds the possibility of what will be a great story. Revision turns that rough diamond into a spectacular gem worth a reader's money and time.

Writers are individuals but to be a producing writer means creating a system to revise and polish a work so the reader thoroughly enjoys the story. REVISION IS A PROCESS is a guidebook for writers and authors that shows how a simple 12-step process can be tailored to eliminate the most common and chronic maladies of writing genre fiction. This valuable guidebook contains secrets, tips, practical advice, how-to's, and why-to's for taking the frustration out of self-editing.

EXCERPT

From Section 9 - Said is not Dead

One of the most controversial aspects of writing dialogue is the use of said as a speech tag. Some think using said is pedestrian and boring, others pepper every line of dialogue with said for fear the reader won't know who is speaking. The fact is that said is nearly invisible to a reader. However, overuse is a common problem, so delete as many as possible without jeopardizing clarity or use beats. (Revisit the Oubliette example on the previous page. Said was not used. Beats were.)

In your review to minimize using said, watch for LY or ING ending speech tags like: "Drop dead," she said dramatically. That tells (and does so poorly). Instead show with a beat: "Drop dead." The anger in her voice was unmistakable. You should avoid such tags as "Of course," he said knowingly (which has an ING and an LY). You may catch the LY and ING tags in the passivity check, which is discussed in Section 11. However, don't mistake the ING words when they're necessary, such as "Oh, that dialogue speech tag has a participle added to it," Marsha said, squinting at the underlined word on the page.

Yes, that's right, squinting is part of a participle phrase, which can be useful in speech tags.

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Catherine E. McLean's lighthearted, short stories have appeared in hard cover and online anthologies and magazines. Her books include JEWELS OF THE SKY, KARMA & MAYHEM, HEARTS AKILTER, and ADRADA TO ZOOL (a short story anthology). She lives on a farm nestled in the foothills of the Allegheny Mountains of Western Pennsylvania. In the quiet of the countryside, she writes lighthearted tales of phantasy realms and stardust worlds (fantasy, futuristic, and paranormal) with romance and advenure. She is also a writing instructor and workshop speaker. Her nonfiction book for writers is REVISION IS A PROCESS - HOW TO TAKE THE FRUSTRATION OUT OF SELF-EDITING.

Thanks for dropping by. I wouldn't call a 30-blog tour fun, more like an interesting experience. It is, however, heartening to have people stop at the various host's blogs and comment. So many people are so busy these days. Many thanks for taking the time to chat.

Revision is a Process has garnered many 5-star reviews, like "I would love to make this book a required text for all novice authors I interact with and I daresay it would be helpful to even seasoned writers by reminding them of common errors that are overlooked, such as providing sensory details other than those from sight or using the outline generated to assist in writing a synopsis and/or blurb. This is a great reference work and I highly recommend it. - The Reading Addict Feb.1, 2018"

Thank you for stopping by today. I wish you all the best with your reading and writing endeavors.

I think if you rode a Conestoga wagon over the prairies, you might not think so much of the jostling and bouncing on that wooden seat. My husband and I had Morgan horses and we went on more than one Wagon Trail Trail Ride. LOL

Revision is a Process is more than interesting, it's filled with secrets, tips, shortcuts, and practical advice on writing fiction and self-editing to generate a marketable manuscript. It may one day become the Strunk and White of self-editing. If you entered the raffle, I wish you luck. Thank you for stopping by!

By your exclamation point, I take it you found the information in this post enlightening, if not entertaining. :)) Thank you so much for dropping by today. I wish you success in all that you do, especially with your writing.

This Tuesday draws to a close, and I thank my host for having me as guest. I also thank each and every one who stopped by, especially those who left a comment. If you entered the raffle, I wish you luck. Good night.

When I write I do it for the joy of using my right brain. The muse speaks and the flow starts and I am in my creative world. But then, as we all know, the left brain process must start. The revision process that is. It is a disciplined activity and if one is not organized, it can certainly take up so much time that boredom may set in early....at least it does for me.

Your book has been very helpful as it helped me organize the revision process so that I not only enhanced my creation, but, made it easier for others to appreciate.

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